The government will invest 196.9 billion won this year to build 19 new research and development infrastructure projects to support cutting-edge industries such as semiconductors, displays, and batteries.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (Minister Lee Chang-yang) announced on the 22nd that it will announce the 2023 new project implementation plan for the Industrial Innovation Infrastructure Establishment Project, which aims to establish research facilities and equipment that can be jointly utilized in the process of technological innovation, and that it will accept applications from participating organizations.

This year, a total of 191.5 billion won will be provided to 101 projects, of which 28.5 billion won will be invested in 19 new projects.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy plans to recruit and select research and development institutions to participate in the new project by the end of April through this announcement.

The Industrial Innovation Infrastructure Development Project supports the joint use of research equipment, software, and other technology development infrastructure that are essential for industrial technological innovation but difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises to build on their own, through universities, public research institutes, specialized research institutes, and TPs.

Small and medium-sized enterprises can utilize the established infrastructure throughout the entire technological innovation cycle, including technology development, product planning and design, prototype production, testing, certification, and evaluation.

This year, the government is focusing on semiconductors and displays, electronics and electrical engineering, machinery and robots, transportation, bio, and digital and friendly industries.19 new projects in the fields of environmental process innovation and materials are being selected.

The government will provide up to 10 billion won over a period of up to five years to universities, research institutes, and TPs that wish to build infrastructure, and each institution can participate on the condition that it contributes a contribution equivalent to at least 30% of the total project cost.

Since 2011, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has invested approximately KRW 1.7 trillion in this project, installing a total of 4,604 pieces of equipment at research institutes, including universities and public research institutes, across the country.

As a representative example, Company A, a small and medium-sized enterprise, developed an 'AI-based nail cosmetic device' that diagnoses users' nail images and connects them to cosmetic and dry food services based on the support of SW development and prototype production for the same business, and won the 2023 CES Innovation Award.

Another small and medium-sized company, Company B, is expecting to generate annual sales of 20 billion won by securing tantalum technology for the first time in Korea and establishing and producing a process line through integrated support from material testing and analysis to process establishment through this project.

Lee Min-woo, Director General of Industrial Technology Convergence Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, said, “At a time when global competition to secure leadership in cutting-edge industries such as semiconductors and secondary batteries is becoming more intense, quickly generating results from technology development to commercialization is a key competitive element.” He added, “The government will take responsibility for the essential infrastructure and provide timely support so that the ideas with great potential possessed by our companies can quickly turn into research and development (R&D) results.”